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Stephen A. Smith and Jay Williams Get Into Nasty Back-And-Forth Over Kyrie Irving

Also in Traina Thoughts: Former QB unleashes absurd take; Tom Brady is ready to sell underwear; Jason Kelce takes great shot at Travis Kelce and more.

Jimmy Traina

1. In the world of professional wrestling, when someone goes off script and does or says something that wasn’t planned, it’s called a “shoot.”

Stephen A. Smith and Jay Williams definitely appeared to shoot on Monday’s First Take when things got personal between the two while they were debating Kyrie Irving’s latest antics in forcing a trade from the Nets.

WIlliams seemed to believe that Smith has a personal beef with Irving and is harder on him than other athletes. Williams also defended some of Irving’s actions.

Things got heated quickly with the two arguing over the amount of time each had to speak. After Smith asked Williams whether he was done talking, Williams went with sarcasm, saying, “I thank you for allowing me to speak for a minute and 30 seconds.”

This led to the duo getting very snippy with each other and Smith telling Williams he was talking b.s. “Just because you label it b.s. doesn’t make it b.s., Stephen A Smith,” responded Williams. Obviously, Williams going full name means Williams was heated.

Things went to another level when Williams dropped a line that always leads to trouble for any two people engaging in an argument.

“You’re the one that’s being very emotional right now,” said Williams. “I’m just saying how it’s interesting to me; it just carries such a bigger momentum in particular with you.”

Smith then fired back with, “Stop telling us what you find interesting and just tell us what you feel.”

That was a solid retort, but Smith then showed that Williams had gotten under his skin, because he then mocked Williams by saying in a high-pitched voice, “‘I find it interesting.’ You always say that. Say what you saying. What are you saying? What are you saying?”

Moderator Molly Qerim then stepped in to get straight to the point, telling Smith that Williams thinks “he’s too preoccupied with Kyrie, too hard on Kyrie.”

This caused Smith to yell that he hasn’t been talking about Kyrie lately, but Williams kept poking the bear and told Smith he seemed “triggered.”

This led to quite an exchange:

Smith: I’m always triggered.

Williams: No, you’re not.

Smith: Oh, yes, I am.

Williams: No, you’re not.

Smith: Yes, I am.

Williams: No, you are not.

Smith: O.K.

Williams then went on to accuse Smith of having a “personal issue with Irving.”

Then they fought about which of them has gotten personal when it comes to critiquing athletes. Qerim interjected again and ended the dust-up.

Bottom line: Both men get under each other’s skin. Williams looked bad trying to defend Irving, because there’s no defending Irving at this point. Williams definitely seemed much, much saltier than Smith. The entire thing was beautifully awkward TV. 

2. Speaking of hot takes, I don’t know the context behind this clip (and I’d really like to), but former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer, who was 65–65 in his career with  113 touchdowns and 129 interceptions, says he’s not impressed with the careers of Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.

3. Forget all the coin-flip stuff. Just stick around until the end and way for the dagger thrown by Jason Kelce to brother Travis on the latest episode of their New Heights podcast.

4. Since Tom Brady posted this thirst trap Monday morning ...

... I should inform you that the Brady Brand people have provided three pairs of that underwear for SI Media Podcast listeners. The giveaway is announced around the 1 hour and 18-minute mark of the show.

5. This was a good tweet by LeBron James after Kyrie Irving ended up on the Mavs instead of the Lakers.

6. This week’s SI Media With Jimmy Traina features a conversation with ESPN legend Chris Berman.

Berman talks about anchoring ESPN’s Super Bowl postgame coverage each year, why NFL Primetime is still so beloved, offers he had to leave ESPN over the years and whether any athletes ever complained about the nickname he gave them.

We also discuss the best sports studio shows of all time, the NFL getting so deep into the betting world, why the NFL even thinking about playing the AFC and NFC title games at neutral sites is a terrible idea and more.

Following Berman, Sal Licata from WFAN radio and SNY TV in New York joins Jimmy for their weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment. This week, Jimmy and Sal discuss why NFL rules analysts on TV are annoying, the Chiefs-Eagles Super Bowl, Sal getting recognized at an NHL game, Jimmy’s mom getting into a Facebook tiff and much more.

You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify and Google.

You can also watch the SI Media Podcast on YouTube.

7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: Happy 61st birthday to Axl Rose. Thank you for this all-time music moment.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

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Jimmy Traina
JIMMY TRAINA

Jimmy Traina is a staff writer and podcast host for Sports Illustrated. A 20-year veteran in the industry, he’s been covering the sports media landscape for seven years and writes a daily column, Traina Thoughts. Traina has hosted the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast since 2018, a show known for interviews with some of the most important and powerful people in sports media. He also was the creator and writer of SI’s Hot Clicks feature from 2007 to '13.

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